The present invention relates to eyeglass devices, and more particularly, to advancements in mounting of auxiliary eyeglasses with secondary lenses, such as sunglass lenses, on primary eyeglasses.
Various methods have been used in the past to attach auxiliary eyeglasses to primary eyeglasses. These methods include the use of permanently attached clips on the auxiliary eyeglasses, which fit around the outside of the frames of the primary eyeglasses. These clips are generally unstable and prone to being shaken loose, particularly when involved in an athletic activity. The clips are also not self-attaching so that on occasion one clip is left disengaged, thus leading to even more instability.
Advancements in the field have lead to the use of permanently attached magnetic members, which are imbedded in or at least integral with the frames, of both the auxiliary and primary eyeglasses. The members are in positions which generally correspond to one another. The magnetic member of the auxiliary eyeglasses is arranged for self engagement with the magnetic member of the primary eyeglasses so as to secure the auxiliary eyeglasses in place.
While use of such integrally attached magnetic members to secure auxiliary eyeglasses to primary eyeglasses is thus recognized as a notable improvement over the use of clips, this method results in several drawbacks. If the magnetic member is embedded in the frame of the eyeglasses, bulky frames are required. Also, the integral magnetic member tends to protrude excessively from the frame, so that it is unattractive, especially when the auxiliary eyeglasses are not attached to the primary eyeglasses. The use of permanently attached magnetic members also precludes the use of the primary eyeglasses by themselves or with auxiliary eyeglasses not expressly designed to mate with them.
Such prior art eyeglass devices with integral magnetic members are thus limited in use. This is particularly true with regard to modern thin frame or frameless eyeglasses since integrating the magnetic members has proven to be not feasible. Furthermore, the integral nature of magnetic members makes it impossible for the auxiliary lenses to be switched for different style frames, either for the primary eyeglasses or the auxiliary eyeglasses. Furthermore, making the magnetic members integral with the frames is relatively expensive to manufacture. Another factor that has proven to be an annoyance in the past is a lack of adjustment of the magnetic members. Once the members are made permanent, if a manufacturing tolerance is missed slightly, then the auxiliary eyeglasses do not fit perfectly, which can lead to considerable dissatisfaction.
A new approach is needed. Specifically, in lieu of permanent or integral magnetic members, it would be desirable to have removable magnetic members that can attach to both the primary and auxiliary eyeglasses. Also, it would be desirable not to be limited in terms of eyeglass styles, but indeed provide for universal conversion of any style, including the modern thin frame or frameless eyeglasses. With respect to the auxiliary eyeglasses, it would be desirable to have the ability to easily add magnetic members to several different ones. Thus, sunglasses with different color lenses can be chosen depending upon the nature of the sun on a particular day or even for color coordination with the user""s clothing.
The new approach should also focus on being less expensive to manufacture. The magnetic members should be easily adapted for not only mounting onto any type of frame or eyeglass lenses, but also be easily adjusted to allow for a perfect fit between the primary and auxiliary eyeglasses.
To obtain a fuller understanding of the need for innovation in the manner described above, reference is made to my prior U.S. Pat. No. 5,416,537, issued May 16, 1995. While the invention of this patent has been highly successful, the integral or built-in nature of the magnets and/or the magnetic material limits the use, as identified above. Similarly, the recent U.S. Pat. No. 6,053,611 to Ku, issued Apr. 25, 2000, ends up with the same limitation of having the magnetic members permanently attached to the primary and auxiliary eyeglasses. There is no provision for using the magnetic members with any other frame or for adjustment to provide a better and more secure fit. The earlier patents to Chao U.S. Pat. No. 5,568,207, issued Oct. 22, 1996 and Nishioka, U.S. Pat. No. 5,648,177, issued Jun. 24, 1977 have the same problem as the ""611 patent.
Accordingly, an improved eyeglass device overcoming the prior shortcomings inherent with integral or permanent magnetic members is provided. Specifically, primary eyeglasses that fit on the user""s or wearer""s head are mated with auxiliary eyeglasses having lenses which approximately correspond to the dimension and shape of the lenses on the primary eyeglasses. Rather than including permanent or integral magnetic members to hold the two eyeglasses together, one feature of my invention is to provide magnetic clamps adapted to grip the eyeglasses and then hold them together. The clamps are easily manually attached adjacent the periphery of each of the primary and secondary lenses. The magnetic clamps are universal and adapted to grip both eyeglasses, without concern over the thickness of the frames, or even in the case of frameless eyeglasses. The clamps can be attached for magnetic mating with each other and individually adjusted in a very simple operation. The auxiliary eyeglasses are at all times when in use securely held in place on the primary eyeglasses, even when the user is engaged in light athletic activities.
The magnetic clamps include a disc magnet on at least one of each pair of clamps which can cooperate with magnetic material on the other. The magnetic material can be a second magnet or material, such as a ferrous metal disc, that is capable of being magnetized. For maximum holding force, mating magnets are used on the primary and secondary eyeglasses.
Each of the clamps includes a retainer to enhance the gripping force. In both embodiments of the present invention, the clamps each include a pair of jaws to engage the eyeglasses and a mating pair of levers corresponding to the jaws. Preferably, each lever is simply an extension or fixed directly to the corresponding jaw. The levers serve an important function in the attachment and retention of the clamps.
For one preferred embodiment, a protrusion on the free end of one lever forms a fulcrum about which the lever pivots. A screw extending through one of said levers and threadedly engaging the other lever draws the jaws of the clamps together to provide the required gripping force. To save space, the disc magnet may include a hole to accommodate the tip of the screw. Alternatively, the clamp may include a web connecting the two levers with a screw being threaded through one lever and the end pressing against the other lever to force the levers apart and the jaws together as the web flexes. For easier installation, the retainer web extending between the levers is prestressed to resiliently force the jaws together and at least temporarily grip the eyeglasses for simplifying the mounting process. For example, as the levers are simultaneously actuated to flex the web, the jaws are attached to the frame of the eyeglasses and then released to the gripping and holding position. A screw retainer can also be used in this arrangement to force the levers further apart. This action serves to securely compress the jaws against the eyeglasses frames, or the lenses in the case of frameless models.
An additional feature is the provision of a deformable coating on the inside faces of the jaws for increasing the frictional holding action of the clamps. The clamps can extend outwardly and substantially parallel to the respective eyeglasses, or alternatively can extend out and over the top of the eyeglasses so that each pair can be made to magnetically mate in substantially a horizontal plane. This allows the auxiliary glasses to take advantage of enhanced holding by gravity.
The present invention also envisions an eyeglass conversion kit for primary eyeglasses. Auxiliary eyeglasses having secondary lenses that correspond to the primary lenses are included in the kit, along with magnetic clamps adapted to grip at least one of said primary eyeglasses and auxiliary eyeglasses adjacent the periphery of the lenses. The other of the eyeglasses may include magnetic material, such as other magnets, for mating with said one eyeglasses to securely hold the auxiliary eyeglasses in place. Preferably, the kit includes two pairs of the clamps with magnets to be attached to each of the primary and auxiliary eyeglasses. The kit also includes a retainer as a part of each clamp for the gripping force of the clamp or clamps on the respective eyeglasses.
Still other advantages and features of the present invention will become readily apparent to those skilled in this art from the following description wherein there is shown and described the preferred embodiments of this invention, simply by way of illustration of the currently conceived modes best suited to carry out the invention. As it will be realized, the invention is capable of other different embodiments, and its several details are capable of modifications in various, obvious aspects all without departing from the invention. Accordingly, the drawings and descriptions will be regarded as illustrative in nature and not as restrictive.